Spread some holiday cheer with these delicious iced sugar cookies. They'll be a hit at any holiday party. Keep reading for the recipe below.
Ingredients
Cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing:
One 12-ounce box confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder
1/3 cup warm (80 to 90 degrees F) water
Food coloring, optional
Assorted sprinkles, colored sugar and small candy pieces
Directions
For the cookies: Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In
a stand mixer, cream the butter, and granulated sugar until light and
fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined. Gradually add the sifted dry
ingredients, one spoonful at a time, until thoroughly combined. Add the
vanilla. Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 1
hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Roll out half of the dough at a time, keeping the remainder of the
dough in the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the
dough to a 1/4-inch thickness and cut into desired shapes with a cookie
cutter. Place the cutout cookies 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie
sheet and put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for a few minutes
before baking. This will help the cookies to retain their shape. (You
can roll out the scraps to make a few more cookies.) Bake until just
before the edges of the cookies start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool
the cookies for 1 to 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to
wire racks to cool completely.
For the icing: In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar,
meringue powder, and warm water with a wire whisk. Stir until the icing
is smooth. Adjust the consistency of the icing by adding more
confectioners' sugar or more water, as needed. Add food coloring, if
desired, to the icing. Spread the icing on the cooled cookies and then
top with assorted sprinkles and candies.
